Using Protection

Disables scam and virus links on Facebook pages. Adds a warning link that helps you warn friends. Extremely unobtrusive. Does not require a Facebook app. Free!

Cons

Scam-reporting feature not entirely ready. Status bar message displays in Firefox, but not in IE. In testing, caught older threats but missed the newest ones.

Bottom Line

This free browser add-on disables scam and virus links on any Facebook page you view. Other than the warnings it inserts when a threat is found, it's almost totally invisible. It doesn't seem to catch the newest threats, but as more users install this free product it should become more effective.

As part of the subscription process, Using Protection asks you to log in to Facebook. It creates a wall post to let your friends know that you've installed this new program. However, you can change the language of the post or skip it altogether if you prefer. This is a non-pushy program.

Resolutely Minimalist BitDefender SafeGo requires that you install a Facebook app in order to protect your account. So does Norton Safe Web for Facebook, a component of Norton Internet Security 2011 ($69.99 direct for three licenses, 4.5 stars) and Norton 360 Version 5.0 ($79.99 direct for three licenses, 4.5 stars). ZoneAlarm SocialGuard ($19.99 direct for five licenses, 4 stars) offers a different kind of Facebook protection, but still requires that users install a Facebook app.

Using Protection doesn't rely on an app. In fact, once you install the add-on for Firefox or Internet Explorer you'll hardly know it's there. In Firefox it displays a tiny status bar note saying, "You're using protection." Under Internet Explorer, it doesn't even have that much visible presence, at least not yet.

The add-on doesn't do anything until you log in to Facebook. At that point the status bar note changes to "Scanning Facebook Page." Every time you look at or refresh a page within Facebook, Using Protection scans all the links to see if any match its database of spam and virus links.

Using Protection disables any bad link it finds and inserts its own link stating "SPAM DETECTED" or "VIRUS DETECTED." Clicking the link creates a wall post that says you've found a virus on your wall and invites your friends to sign up for Using Protection. Here, again, you can modify or skip the message. For example, if the virus it found was actually on another friend's page you could change it to say "I found a virus on Lance's Facebook wall."

Using Protection doesn't gain access to your Facebook account. You don't have to worry about whether you're giving it too many permissions. It's an add-on to the browser, not to Facebook. That means it will be active for anybody who logs on to Facebook using the protected browser. Randy Adams, the company's founder and CEO, explains, "We wanted to avoid logins and cookies because we thought they were too intrusive."

In both browsers the add-on slips a "Report Facebook Spam" menu item into the Tools menu. At present, you can follow the link and make your report using email. An online reporting page should become available within the week.

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Neil Rubenking served as vice president and president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years when the IBM PC was brand new. He was present at the formation of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and served on its board of directors. In 1986, PC Magazine brought Neil on board to handle the torrent of Turbo Pascal tips submitted by readers. By 1990, he had become PC Magazine's technical editor, and a coast-to-coast telecommuter. His "User to User" column supplied readers with tips...
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